It’s often that we forget about the interviewer’s experience during an interview. We always think about the interviewee and how they might be nervous or anxious. We (the internet) share tips and tricks with them on how to successfully nail an interview but today we are going to move to the other side of the desk and switch it up. Today we are sharing with you our Top 3 Tips for the Interviewer.
If you are not long in a manager or recruiter role you might be asking yourself: How do I conduct a successful interview? What do I ask the interviewee? Well, here are our top 3 tips for the interviewer.
Tip 1: Understand exactly what you need from the new employee
This tip is notably valuable to recruiters or the HR team. In particular, if you are not going to be working directly with the new employee, make sure you understand exactly what is needed from them.
Generally speaking, someone new is hired into a business to satisfy a specific business need – identify the need and determine how to measure success in the position. Ask the interviewee any specific qualities, skills or strengths he or she may have that will benefit and satisfy business needs. It is also very valuable to note any personality traits or qualities the interviewee holds that will mesh well with your company culture.
Tip 2: Do your homework
The second of our top 3 tips for the interviewer is simple. Do not conduct an interview having read the interviewees CV for the first time five minutes beforehand. You are setting yourself and the job position up for failure if you do this. Take time to read the interviewee’s CV, try to understand what type of person they might be. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself questions related to previous jobs – What did I learn from this job? Why did I leave this job? What did I bring to that company? You can also look them up on social media channels such as LinkedIn or Twitter.
How will you ask thought-provoking questions and create interesting conversation if you don’t know anything about the interviewee? …. which brings us to the last of our top 3 tips for the interviewer…
Tip 3: Make the interview a conversation
Although it is common to look for specific information and answers from the interviewee it should not feel like an interrogation. The conversation should flow and consist of a combination of questions and answers from both the interviewer and interviewee.
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The more you know about the interviewee, the more in-depth conversation you can have. When asking questions, the key is to listen to their answers slowly. Avoid rushing through a list of pre-planned questions. This will show the interviewee that you are actively listening and engaged and will make them feel more at ease.
So there you have it, our top 3 tips for the interviewer. If you are asking yourself what do I ask an interviewee? Remember our top 3 tips and you’re that much more likely to find the perfect fit for your job position.
If you need more help on what to ask the interviewee, check out LinkedIn’s blog on conducting the perfect job interview.
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